Collie – One of the best companion dogs in the world

Training and care of the Collie

Breed Introduction

Originally bred in Scotland, the elegant Collie is one of the most loyal dogs you could wish to own. He's a wonderful family companion, and extremely adaptable to a variety of different home environments. Gentle and playful, although he was originally bred as a farm dog, today it's far more common to see the Collie in the role of an affectionate pet. They are very tolerant. Although they are generally good with children their instinct is to herd. Because of this it's not unusual for a Collie to chase children and nip a their heels when they run. They must be supervised when around children. Though Collies get along well with people and other house pets, some might be highly strung. This can make them reserved with strangers (although generally not aggressive). They should be trained and socialized from an early age, which is easy as they are very intelligent and fast learners. They are best trained with consistency and using a variety of training methods. The Collie can be found in two different varieties; the short coat (known as the Smooth variety) and full coat (known as the Rough variety. Both types have the same qualities. Collies are a good choice as a watchdog as they will bark an alert when they sense any danger.

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Will a Collie (Smooth-coated) be a suitable dog for my family?

As long as you have a back yard of at least half an acre for you dog to run free in

If your back yard is secure with visible fencing

If you are able to spend at least 45-60 minutes total per day for the feeding, exercising, training, and grooming of your dog

Yes, if you want a short haired dog

If you want a dog that sheds all year round

As long as the youngest person in your house (or who regularly visits) is over 5 year of age

If you want a dog that takes an average amount of time to housebreak (around 6-12 weeks)

You want a highly trainable dog

If you want a dog that will bark to warn you of odd noises or strangers

Yes, especially if this is the first dog that you will own as an adult

Then Collie (Smooth-coated) is the best suited Dog for you.

Collie (Smooth-coated) Stat Chart

Rating System:

Ease of training: 1 is hard to train, 5 is easy
Ease of grooming: 1 is hard to groom, 5 is easy
Sociability: 1 is not social, 5 is very social
Guarding: 1 is not a good guard dog, 5 is very good guard dog
Suitable for Apartments: 1 is not suitable, 5 is very suitable
Noisiness: 1 is quiet, 5 is loud
Biting and Nipping: 1 is doesn’t nip/bite, 5 high chance of biting/nipping
Energy Level: 1 is low energy, 5 is high energy
Shedding: 1 is low energy, 5 is high shedding
Affection: 1 is not very friendly, 5 is very friendly
Exercise Requirements: 1 is low exercise needed, 5 is a lot of exercise

Breed Stat

Breed Group:
Herding GroupSize: Large,Medium Life span: Over 10 Years Exercise: Up to 1 hour per day Grooming: Once a week Coat length: Short Coat sheds?: Yes Home Size: Large,Small Garden Size: Medium,Small

Rating System:

Ease of training: 1 is hard to train, 5 is easy
Ease of grooming: 1 is hard to groom, 5 is easy
Sociability: 1 is not social, 5 is very social
Guarding: 1 is not a good guard dog, 5 is very good guard dog
Suitable for Apartments: 1 is not suitable, 5 is very suitable
Noisiness: 1 is quiet, 5 is loud
Biting and Nipping: 1 is doesn’t nip/bite, 5 high chance of biting/nipping
Energy Level: 1 is low energy, 5 is high energy
Shedding: 1 is low energy, 5 is high shedding
Affection: 1 is not very friendly, 5 is very friendly
Exercise Requirements: 1 is low exercise needed, 5 is a lot of exercise